Maintaining ability to go the distance
55in13
Posts: 1,091 Member
I know this will be a little vague and the answer may vary from person to person, but...
I have been running harder and longer lately; ran over 11 miles last night with runs of 8, 8 and 7 in the previous every-other-day week and have been doing runs of 5 to 8 miles 3 times a week for a couple of months. I am aiming toward a half in October. My question is that if I drop to just 2 runs a week for most of August and early September, will I find it easy to just push for a couple of weeks and then do the half? Easy might be the wrong word; "doable" for someone who has been running like I have might be a better word choice.
I also wonder about it longer term. How far can you space runs and still have a reasonable expectation of being able to run 5+ miles pretty much anytime you try (and still be able to function afterwards
)?
I am 54 years old, 5' 9.5" and 170 (so technically not overweight anymore; BMI = 24.7).
I have been running harder and longer lately; ran over 11 miles last night with runs of 8, 8 and 7 in the previous every-other-day week and have been doing runs of 5 to 8 miles 3 times a week for a couple of months. I am aiming toward a half in October. My question is that if I drop to just 2 runs a week for most of August and early September, will I find it easy to just push for a couple of weeks and then do the half? Easy might be the wrong word; "doable" for someone who has been running like I have might be a better word choice.
I also wonder about it longer term. How far can you space runs and still have a reasonable expectation of being able to run 5+ miles pretty much anytime you try (and still be able to function afterwards
)?I am 54 years old, 5' 9.5" and 170 (so technically not overweight anymore; BMI = 24.7).
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Replies
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Here comes the useless vague answer...........it depends on your goal. Do you just want to reach the finish line without stopping or do you have a specific target time you are going for?
If the former then I'd say you can probably still achieve that having backed off, but from your question I can tell that you know this isn't the ideal approach.
If you go this route, you'll want to take care when you come onto the 2 weeks of 'pushing it hard'. Firstly you don't want to dramatically uplift your mileage as injury becomes more likely. Secondly if you do decide to do this, remember you'll want to scale back during the final week, so you should time it appropriately.
If this is possible for you I would recommend something different that you might find easier than your current routine:
1 x long run per week - run at an easy, conversational pace. This should be in the region of 10-13miles. Some people do great never going above 10miles in training. I personally like to do 13 as it gives me confidence.
1 x easy middle distance run - say 6 miles at conversational pace. < 78% maxHR rate if using a HRM.
2 x short, hard runs. c. 5kms. Fartlek intervals, hill sprints etc.
I'd not recommend two hard sessions on consecutive days (I class your long run as Hard even if it is at an easy pace).
If you find yourself able to fit in another run then an easy 5k is worth your time. Mileage definitely helps when training for the half but not all runs need to be run hard.
There are many variations on the above and you can find a lot of programmes out there for the half. I am far from expert. The above describes that I myself do and I am comfortable with it.
Good luck with whatever you decide.0 -
I know this will be a little vague and the answer may vary from person to person, but...
I have been running harder and longer lately; ran over 11 miles last night with runs of 8, 8 and 7 in the previous every-other-day week and have been doing runs of 5 to 8 miles 3 times a week for a couple of months. I am aiming toward a half in October. My question is that if I drop to just 2 runs a week for most of August and early September, will I find it easy to just push for a couple of weeks and then do the half? Easy might be the wrong word; "doable" for someone who has been running like I have might be a better word choice.
I also wonder about it longer term. How far can you space runs and still have a reasonable expectation of being able to run 5+ miles pretty much anytime you try (and still be able to function afterwards )?
I am 54 years old, 5' 9.5" and 170 (so technically not overweight anymore; BMI = 24.7).
I'd swap out the "harder and harder" approach and would get a training plan. You can get a training plan at zero cost at runnersworld.com. They also have custom plans that cost a few dollars. There are many other sources for training plans (I even found one by Galen Rupp on active.com or somewhere).
I've used the Runner's World plan (the free one) and am now finishing up a McMillanrunning.com plan and I like the McMillan plan.
You can buy a custom plan at mcmillanrunning.com or you can get "You - only faster", which is Greg McMillan's book of training plans (it's about $20 on Amazon but only $9.99 for Kindle). It's easy to read, very educational, and has a variety of stock training plans. The book has training plans for 5k, 10k, 21k and 42k and, for each distance, a plan where you run 2-3 days, 4-5 days, or 6-7 days. You can use the plan straight out of the book or you can modify the plan according to whether you are a "speedster" or an "endurance monster". The bulk of the book is spent explaining why we do runs in four zones (endurance, stamina, speed, sprint) and then you decide how you want to tailor the plan to suit your needs. I decided that I don't know if I'm a speedster or an endurance monster so I've used the stock 21km, 4-5 days a week plan and have enjoyed it immensely.
At $20/$10 I haven't seen a better value in putting together a training plan for a new runner (I'm just over 1500 miles so I'm still a newb).0 -
A little more info...
I used to run off and on years ago. Before the beginning of this year, I had not run in a couple of years. I did a C25K early this year and ran a "real" 5k in April. After that I started increasing mileage. I switched to Endomondo tracking on 5/24 and since then I have run 227 miles tracked there. My guess is that I have run maybe 400 miles total since the beginning of the year, with the bulk of it in the last couple of months.
I don't care about running all that fast; anything under 2:30 would be fine with me for a half. I also don't care about running more than a half; I will probably mostly do 10k runs.
I am not really trying to train for the half, per se. I am pretty sure I could do one now. When I stopped at 11.29 last night, it was because I ran 2 hours and needed to get back; I still had enough energy to have made it a couple of more miles and I would have completed them in about 22 minutes. So I am not trying o get better; I just want to maintain the level of running I can do now.0 -
Good question and it may depend runner to runner. I have always only done 3 runs a week for the simple reason that I cannot do back to back runs...seems to cause some pain. I am 52 and started running seriously again 5 years ago. I have plugged in a bike and an aerobic core routine where in my younger days I would have been doing runs. So far I have been able to run a marathon a year (last one 4:17) and several other halfs and 10ks. This seems to work for me. I am by no means a big competitor in my age group, but I do compete with myself. Last year I hit 3 PRS 5k, 10k and Marathon. I am not sure exactly what it would affect if I tried to cut a day out for a few weeks because I have never tried that. But I do agree that if you are going to ramp it back up before a race, you'd better do it gradually. Too hard, too fast is never a good plan.0
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To maintain your current level you can back off to three times a week with one of those a harder run like a tempo. That will maintain your fitness for several months. Less than three times a week and your fitness will slowly decline.0
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What are you basing that on? I was hoping to drop to twice a week. I would do other exercise (upper body) a couple of times a week also. I wonder about 2 times a week alternating with 3 times a week...To maintain your current level you can back off to three times a week with one of those a harder run like a tempo. That will maintain your fitness for several months. Less than three times a week and your fitness will slowly decline.0 -
I read it in Lore of Running by Dr. Timothy Noakes a few years ago.What are you basing that on? I was hoping to drop to twice a week. I would do other exercise (upper body) a couple of times a week also. I wonder about 2 times a week alternating with 3 times a week...
Hal Higdon says essentially the same thing here: http://askhalhigdon.tumblr.com/But if you will permit me an experienced guess as to the minimal amount of running you need to do to maintain fitness, I’m going to say it would be 2-3 miles every other day.0 -
My question is "why?"
Why, if you want to run a race, would you try to figure out the least amount of running you could do? This just does not compute.0 -
I agree, it sounds like you want to be able to run the occasional race but don't want to run. If you don't like running then don't run, there are plenty of other exercises you can do.My question is "why?"
Why, if you want to run a race, would you try to figure out the least amount of running you could do? This just does not compute.0 -
I love running, but also want to do some other things in my limited spare time. Running 5+ miles twice a week would be about the right balance but my concern is whether I could stay in good enough condition to do a half marathon if I "only" run maybe 50 miles a month.
I agree, it sounds like you want to be able to run the occasional race but don't want to run. If you don't like running then don't run, there are plenty of other exercises you can do.My question is "why?"
Why, if you want to run a race, would you try to figure out the least amount of running you could do? This just does not compute.0 -
I love running, but also want to do some other things in my limited spare time. Running 5+ miles twice a week would be about the right balance but my concern is whether I could stay in good enough condition to do a half marathon if I "only" run maybe 50 miles a month.
I agree, it sounds like you want to be able to run the occasional race but don't want to run. If you don't like running then don't run, there are plenty of other exercises you can do.My question is "why?"
Why, if you want to run a race, would you try to figure out the least amount of running you could do? This just does not compute.
If you truly love running, you'll find a way to run more than twice a week.
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Squeezing in an extra one that is shorter but more intense is an idea that has legs (pun intended :bigsmile: ). My calendar is crazy full this month and then the kids will be back in school - homework, band, etc, and running as often and long as I have since Memorial Day would cause some issues at home.0
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Well, the other night I went out and thought about how to increase the intensity, and (with apologies to the late great Dr Seuss) I puzzled and puzzled til my puzzler was sore, 8 miles went by and I was back at my door...
Any good advice on how to introduce higher paced running into the routine? I have tried adding in a few sprints and it always crushes me. I can run at a 10:30/mile pace over 2 hours, but as soon as I sprint 50 yards you could start an egg timer; I will be walking soon.0 -
I would recommend a tempo pace run instead of sprints.
Warm up for a mile or two. Then 20+ min at around 5K pace plus 20 seconds (or around 10 K pace). Adjust that pace for the conditions, i.e. really hot or hilly. The cool down for a mile or two.
The pace will be challenging, but not overly difficult and the fitness payoff is big in increasing aerobic capacity and lactate tolerance.
Also, tempo running is more relevant to half marathon training than short fast intervals.
If you are running with a heart rate monitor your heartrate should be between 85 to 92% max during the tempo run. Higher than that and you are running too hard for this type of run.0 -
Squeezing in an extra one that is shorter but more intense is an idea that has legs (pun intended :bigsmile: ). My calendar is crazy full this month and then the kids will be back in school - homework, band, etc, and running as often and long as I have since Memorial Day would cause some issues at home.
What time of day are your running? I'm out the door at 5AM for 2 reasons:
1) I'm a morning person & love to start my day with a run
2) my running doesn't interfere with family obligations
If there's the will there's a way.....0 -
I usually run really early AM or late PM. Late PM limits my routes a little; one nearby neighborhood seems to think street lights are made of gold or something. It gets dark in there. During the summer I have been in the office by 6:00, which limits weekday opportunities. I am an hourly contractor, so getting in extra hours while I can helps. Most of my runs are in teh 90 minute range these days.Squeezing in an extra one that is shorter but more intense is an idea that has legs (pun intended :bigsmile: ). My calendar is crazy full this month and then the kids will be back in school - homework, band, etc, and running as often and long as I have since Memorial Day would cause some issues at home.
What time of day are your running? I'm out the door at 5AM for 2 reasons:
1) I'm a morning person & love to start my day with a run
2) my running doesn't interfere with family obligations
If there's the will there's a way.....0 -
I do something similar to BrianSharpe....in the morning before it impacts other things. If you are going to back it down to 3 times a week, you could freeze two work day mornings and one weekend morning for this. I also live close enough to work that I have been known to leave an extra set of clothes at work and run in some days. Like Carson says....there is a way.
When school does start up, my mornings have to start even earlier so a headlamp is always charged and ready. And can I second the tempo runs? Great alternative.0 -
Well, so far I have not cut back and I am leaning toward finding ways to work it in. I passed the 50 mile mark for August this morning. As the days shorten, I will just have to run a less favored route that is better lit. It may actually work out as a good alternative for shorter runs anyway. The reason I often avoid that route is that it has an insane climb; actually 3 or 4 variations of it. So it is an awesome place to hill train, but when I use it as part of longer runs it makes it hard to finish the run.0
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Well, so far I have not cut back and I am leaning toward finding ways to work it in. I passed the 50 mile mark for August this morning. As the days shorten, I will just have to run a less favored route that is better lit. It may actually work out as a good alternative for shorter runs anyway. The reason I often avoid that route is that it has an insane climb; actually 3 or 4 variations of it. So it is an awesome place to hill train, but when I use it as part of longer runs it makes it hard to finish the run.
I think it's important to incorporate hilly routes into all "easy effort" runs. It's okay for the pace to slow when you climb. There is no need to try to maintain pace or even increase pace. What this does for you is actually give you a little bit of strength work and a bit of speed work in disguise. If running a monster hilly route makes it difficult for you to finish the run, then I contend that you are running the entire thing too fast to begin with.
Kudos to you for finding ways to make it work. I knew you could do it.
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This is the hill:
not sure if it is a monster by everyone's standards or not. The reason the profiles don't match is I ran down one way and back up another. The way I went back up has that dip that is so steep it is anything but relief. There are actually 4 routes, 3 of which are lit and the other is a paved running trail in the woods. The one I went down has a 200' change in about a quarter mile.
ETA - if you don't see the elevation numbers on the right, right click and view the image in another window.0
